8 servings

Hands on: 30 minutes

RENEE' HANNANS HENRY/AJC (ENLARGE)
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Total time: 1 1/2 hours

"I'm not a chocolate person, but this is the one chocolate cake that I just dive into," says Deadra Edwards, who modified a recipe she found in "LaBelle Cuisine" and added a different frosting. The dense dark-chocolate flavor prompted Edwards' husband, Ken, to call it a "grown-up's cake."

For the cake:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting and filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (more for deeper chocolate flavor)

1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1/8 cup coffee, instant or freshly brewed

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream butter for about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat just until smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake until the tops lightly bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and cool completely.

To make the frosting and filling: In a medium bowl, beat the butter together with the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar until well-combined. Add the vanilla, chocolate syrup and coffee and beat until well-blended. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.

Place bottom layer of cake on a serving platter and spread with some frosting. Add top layer and frost top and sides of cake layers. If desired, decorate with chocolate shavings.

Per serving: 726 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 9 grams protein, 117 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 26 grams fat (16 grams saturated), 117 milligrams cholesterol, 453 milligrams sodium.